Siege of Orvieto (1495)

The Siege of Orvieto (1495) was a military action of the Italian War of 1494-98 that occurred when the army of King Charles VIII of France laid siege to the city-state of Orvieto in southern Umbria. The French destroyed several sections of the walls before launching a costly assault on the city, which they proceeded to sack.

King Charles' invasion of Italy was met with significant opposition from the condottieri and petty rulers of central Italy, especially from the lords of Siena and Florence. His army cut a path south, felling walled cities one by one, and Orvieto was the last city in his path before he had to march his forces through the Papal States, which were allies of his enemy, the Kingdom of Naples. The French army was equipped with a large siege train, including heavy cannon. There was no need to wait until the defenders of Orvieto surrendered; instead, King Charles ordered an assault on the city. The French artillery's bombardment caused the walls to crumble before its might, and the defenders soon found themselves overwhelmed by the French forces. Nevertheless, they fought to the death, and the French suffered significant losses during their capture of the city. The French decided to punish Orvieto's rulers for their impudence, and they had 820 Orvietans massacred and 3,459 guilders plundered from the city's coffers.